Best Car Ever?

[LibertyWeeps]

Best American made car ever?

What year?
What model?
Why?


For me, it's the mid 70's LTD/Lincoln/Mercury "Panther" platform models, 1968 - 1986.

When Ford REALLY made vehicles better than the military made tanks!!!!



Detroit steel, workhorse engines with cushy rides and big body frames.

Doesn't matter if you bought the working mans model (LTD) or the rich mans model (Lincoln).

It was something that would last a lifetime.



They don't make them like that anymore.

LTD

Marquis

Town Car

 

[playtime]

certainly not a 1976 ford pinto.

that was my 1st car.

 

[Auld Phart]

Best American made car ever?

What year?
What model?
Why?


For me, it's the mid 70's LTD/Lincoln/Mercury "Panther" platform models, 1968 - 1986.

When Ford REALLY made vehicles better than the military made tanks!!!!



Detroit steel, workhorse engines with cushy rides and big body frames.

Doesn't matter if you bought the working mans model (LTD) or the rich mans model (Lincoln).

It was something that would last a lifetime.



They don't make them like that anymore.

LTD
View attachment 1203551

Marquis
View attachment 1203553

Town Car
View attachment 1203556

 

[Cellblock2429]

Best American made car ever?

What year?
What model?
Why?


For me, it's the mid 70's LTD/Lincoln/Mercury "Panther" platform models, 1968 - 1986.

When Ford REALLY made vehicles better than the military made tanks!!!!



Detroit steel, workhorse engines with cushy rides and big body frames.

Doesn't matter if you bought the working mans model (LTD) or the rich mans model (Lincoln).

It was something that would last a lifetime.



They don't make them like that anymore.

LTD
View attachment 1203551

Marquis
View attachment 1203553

Town Car
View attachment 1203556

/—-/ I had the poor man’s version, a 1978 LTD. It was like driving an aircraft carrier.

 

[Godboy]

It really only comes down to two choices because, everything made before today sucks, mechanically speaking. Bad brakes, low horsepower, terrible suspension, shitty starters and alternators, etc.

The obvious first choice is the Hennessey Venom. Its a 2 million dollar hypercar. Most expensive American mass production vehicle by a MILE! Its also one of the fastest production cars in the world, if not THE fastest.

The second choice has to be the Mustang GTD. Fastest mustang of all time, with the highest price of any Ford ever. They retail for about $350,000. They have an absurdly high-tech air suspension system that gives computer controlled independent suspension at each wheel. If youre cornering, the inside tires lower and the outside tires raise up, thereby keeping the car flat at all times.

 

[1srelluc]

Pretty much any Honda Accord....Dead balls reliable point A to B transportation.

 

[Godboy]

Pretty much any Honda Accord....Dead balls reliable point A to B transportation.

Ooooh, clever choice. They DO in fact make those in America.

 

[Cassandro]

Ooooh, clever choice. They DO in fact make those in America.

My brother bought two Odyssey minivans, The first, made in Japan, was flawless. The second, made in America, was a POS. Interestingly, he has now put over 100K on a Chrysler with zero problems.

 

[Sparker]

Pretty much any Honda Accord....Dead balls reliable point A to B transportation.

Something like that but as a wagon. Whatever there is that can run 300k miles, get 30 mpg, and has space to haul some cargo, family, etc.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

/—-/ I had the poor man’s version, a 1978 LTD. It was like driving an aircraft carrier.

I had a 1975 LTD and drove it from 1979-1983 when I moved to a Thunderbird.

 

[Concerned American]

Best American made car ever?

What year?
What model?
Why?


For me, it's the mid 70's LTD/Lincoln/Mercury "Panther" platform models, 1968 - 1986.

When Ford REALLY made vehicles better than the military made tanks!!!!



Detroit steel, workhorse engines with cushy rides and big body frames.

Doesn't matter if you bought the working mans model (LTD) or the rich mans model (Lincoln).

It was something that would last a lifetime.



They don't make them like that anymore.

LTD
View attachment 1203551

Marquis
View attachment 1203553

Town Car
View attachment 1203556

That year Lincoln was a tank. Seen a bundle of them in destruction derbies.

 

[Cellblock2429]

I had a 1975 LTD and drove it from 1979-1983 when I moved to a Thunderbird.

/----/ I had two T-Birds. The 1980 redesign, which was a company car, and the one from the 90s. Both were a shadow of the '59 legacy.
I test drove the relauch in the early 2000s but thought it was overpriced with too many Jaguar parts.
The manufacturers stumble across a winner and can't resist the urge to change it every year until no one wants them anymore.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

/----/ I had two T-Birds. The 1980 redesign, which was a company car, and the one from the 90s. Both were a shadow of the '59 legacy.
I test drove the relauch in the early 2000s but thought it was overpriced with too many Jaguar parts.
The manufacturers stumble across a winner and can't resist the urge to change it every year until no one wants them anymore.

I also bought another T-bird for a second car for the wife a few years later, but the first T-bird died a coupe's death when we had the interest rate cut and the first kid, when I went with an 85 Mercury Capri which was a Mustang in sheep's clothing. I saved about $60 a month on payments and got a brand new car. It died when the second kid came along and we decided 4 doors were better.

 

[Cellblock2429]

/----/ I had a 91 Capri rag top. I used it to teach my daughters to drive a stick. They never got the hang of it. BTW, they raced Capris in Europe and in the US.

 

[Zincwarrior]

No car has had the effect of this simple contrivance in industry and culture.

 

[Concerned American]

/----/ I had two T-Birds. The 1980 redesign, which was a company car, and the one from the 90s. Both were a shadow of the '59 legacy.
I test drove the relauch in the early 2000s but thought it was overpriced with too many Jaguar parts.
The manufacturers stumble across a winner and can't resist the urge to change it every year until no one wants them anymore.

I always admired this car since the first time I saw one in 1957, but I never owned one or even drove one--I just love the lines.

 

[Sparker]

Cars cost too much money to be just toys. They need to do work to be worth my money. I never had any of these but they're all candidates, if any of them were made in the US: Toyota Corolla and Camry wagons, Sienna minivans, and some Toyota SUVs. But here in Michigan, Toyotas rust and break, so they don't reach Toyota's high mileage standard. 1990s Ford Rangers with 4 cylinder engines are also strong candidates. I had a few Rangers but never with a 4.

 

[Concerned American]

Cars cost too much money to be just toys. They need to do work to be worth my money. I never had any of these but they're all candidates, if any of them were made in the US: Toyota Corolla and Camry wagons, Sienna minivans, and some Toyota SUVs. But here in Michigan, Toyotas rust and break, so they don't reach Toyota's high mileage standard. 1990s Ford Rangers with 4 cylinder engines are also strong candidates. I had a few Rangers but never with a 4.

I've had two Explorers-- a 96 and an 18. Great cars. Sold the first one to my daughter w/over 200K on it and she put another 100K on it and I'm still driving the second one, 154K. I live in cold/snow country and I haven't seen any rust issues.

 

[DGS49]

The "best" car would have to be one that combined functionality, performance, relative safety, styling, and durability.

To me, it comes down to one, Cadillac CTS-V.

Seats 5 comfortably and carries their stuff, goes like hell, incorporates state-of-the art safety measures, looks great, and lasts a long time if properly looked after.

Of course a Tesla Model S Plaid checks all of those same boxes, and then some.